Cape County stores kept busy by Missouri's sales tax holiday

Six-year-old Rallen Owens of Bloomfield, Mo., helped his mother push a cart full of clothes, shoes and other back-to-school essentials through Target Saturday.

He was just tall enough to peer over the cart's handle and admire the Transformers backpack he'd just picked out.

His mother, Desere Owens, had been waiting for this weekend to get what her son needed to start the school year. She looked forward to the savings she'd see at the register from Missouri's back-to-school sales tax holiday.

From 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight Sunday, Missouri shoppers were spared the state's 4.225 percent sales tax.

Cape Girardeau elected not to waive its 2.75 percent local tax this year; Jackson did waive its 1.5 percent sales tax.

Nicole Marvel, manager of Nearly Perfect Shoes in Jackson, said she thought that helped bring customers to Jackson to shop. However, all of Nearly Perfect's locations in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Poplar Bluff and Dexter paid customers' local tax for them if it wasn't waived.

"I know there's a lot of businesses not doing it, but it's helping people out," Marvel said.

On Friday, Marvel said her store had done triple the business it would on a typical Friday. By 1 p.m. Saturday, sales were double that of a typical Saturday, she said.

Customers and sales were also about double at Target on Saturday, said Target team leader Natalie Robson. The store also had about twice its typical Saturday staff.

"We've got extra people to bring things out of the back room and keep our floor full," she said.

Sales of clothing and school supplies were strong on Saturday, and Target also sold a few iPads but didn't experience a big boost in electronics sales, Robson said.

Jennifer Cain of Cobden, Ill., enjoyed the tax-free savings on a tablet computer she purchased at Sam's Club. After having its first sales tax holiday last year, Illinois opted not to have one this year, so Cain traveled to Cape Girardeau to do her back-to-school shopping Friday and Saturday.

"If they'd had it again, I probably would have shopped in Carbondale instead," she said.

This is the eighth year for Missouri's sales tax holiday.

Cape Girardeau's Staples was another retailer that opted to pay city taxes for its customers over the weekend. Assistant manager Patrick Strothmann said the tax break helped draw customers into his store.

"We've definitely seen an increase in business in our store over the weekend," Strothmann said. "But it's not just us. I think everyone has had more business because of the tax holiday. Even though the city isn't participating, customers still don't have to pay state tax, and that's helped business."

Strothmann said many of the customers came to his store on Saturday and Sunday to buy electronics.

"Laptops have really been the biggest selling item," Strothmann said. "With laptops starting at about $400, a customer can save about $30 if they buy this weekend."

Customers buying higher-end laptops could save about $100.

Best Buy's Cape Girardeau store also saw an increase in business due to the tax-free holiday. On Sunday, the store was full and customers were lined up to buy laptops.

Kellison Hines waited in line for more than 20 minutes to speak with a store associate.

"We're here to buy a new computer for my son," Hines said. "He's going off to college this fall, and we wanted to wait until the tax-free weekend so we could save some money."

Hines said she expected to save about $100 in taxes by purchasing a laptop during the holiday.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

ssemmler@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

3026 William St., Cape Girardeau, MO

Ella Mangels, 5, of Jackson considers new footwear Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at Nearly Perfect Shoes in Jackson. The city opted to support Missouri's sales tax holiday. (Fred Lynch)

294 Siemers Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO